Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent responsible for cholera. It is a bean-shaped bacterium with a long tail that it uses for self-propulsion.The bacteria are transmitted between humans through the fecal-oral route; a bite of contaminated food or a sip of contaminated water can cause infection.

More specifically, a toxin secreted by the bacteria, which targets receptors in the human intestine, is responsible for the pathology characteristic of the disease.

👉🏾Uncontrolled water sources such as wells, lakes, ponds, streams and rivers pose a great threat.👉🏾Contaminated Food 👉🏾Drinks:👉🏾 Ingestion of contaminated food and drinks have been associated with outbreaks of cholera.👉🏾Bottle feeding could be a significant risk factor for infants. 👉🏾Fruits and vegetables washed with contaminated water can be a source of infection.👉🏾After preparation, cooked food may be contaminated through contaminated hands and/or flie

Are You at Risk?Anyone can become sick with cholera. However, a few factors may make you more likely to catch cholera and more likely to have a more severe case. These risk factors include:

👉🏾Unclean conditions (such as poor sanitation and contaminated water)👉🏾Low levels of stomach acid (cholera bacteria cannot live in highly acidic environments)👉🏾Sick household members👉🏾Type O blood (it’s not clear why this is true, but more people with this blood type seem to be at risk for cholera)👉🏾Eating raw shellfish (if the shellfish live in dirty waters where the cholera bacteria live, there is greater risk of becoming ill)